Students’ photos chosen for soda bottles

Five students from Shoreham-Wading River High School were recognized by the Brookhaven Town Board last week for having their photos selected by the Jones Soda Co. to appear on bottles sold in stores.

The students took the photos as part of an assignment in their photography class and submitted them to the Jones Soda Label Contest. A spokesperson for the company said they get thousands of submissions and select up to 200 photos every couple of months for bottles that are distributed throughout the United States and Canada.

Students Samantha Merzbacher, Lindsey Malone and Audrey Ricca were recognized at the Dec. 7 board meeting, along with art teacher Jason Andria. Two other students, Brianna Coffaro and Taylor Hugelmeyer, also were contest winners.

Andria said he has students submit their photos for the label contest every year, and they routinely get chosen by the company. These students were notified that their photos would appear on labels over the summer, and some of them have already found their bottles, he said.

The Jones Soda Co., originally a Canadian beverage distributor, launched Jones Soda in 1996 and sells flavors like Fufu Berry, Blue Bubble Gum and Strawberry Lime. It’s sold in grocery stores like Waldbaum's, ShopRite and Pathmark, and in “unique” venues like tattoo parlors, according to the company website.